1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to dispensing devices and particularly to dispensing devices for automatically delivering a variety of sequentially stored electronic components for manual insertion into circuit boards.
2. Prior Art
Storage and retrieval of various types of small parts is required in industries that assemble equipment. Specifically, small printed circuit board components are sometimes assembled in a hand-feed operation in which the loading and retrieval of different small parts is required during a sequence of operations. With many of the dispensing devices currently used, a considerable amount of time is required for an assembler to select the part to be inserted and then return unused parts to the proper storage compartments. When dozens of components must be assembled on a single board, the time to perform these operations can be extended considerably. Many of the dispensing devices currently in use involve systems in which an assembler must reach into a bin, remove a part and then move the bin to a new location so that another part can be removed. Other systems involve bins which are moved automatically but require the assembler to shift the point of removal from one place to another. When the delivery point is changed for each component, the assembler must perform the time-consuming function of searching out a correct position which continuously changes.